Back in Business
by Speculatrix
Summary: It's been 6 years since Bella left Pontypandy for Italy and stayed. But she hasn't forgotten her little cafe. So she has sent her niece to claim her legacy. Everyone knows that it'd take big shoes to fill the void that Bella left. But these big shoes have a surprising secret...NO SLASH! I'm not pairing my OC off with anyone, cos that will only make her a Mary Sue.
1. Chapter 1

**Back in Business****  
**

**Chapter 1**

**Author's Note & Disclaimer: **I want to kind of do my best to bridge gaps between the old and new series. Yes, people don't like the CGI series, I know. But I do. And that being said, I like the CGI series and I LOVE the old series. Fireman Sam and all related characters belong to the people who created them. And my OC belongs to me.

Ella cringed as she made her way upstairs. It was acting up again. Luckily, she had remembered what she needed to do, so the sting was easy to ignore. She finally reached the room and knocked.

"Come een," said an older woman's voice.

Ella entered the bedroom. The first thing she noticed was the ginger cat sitting on the lap of a woman in a red dress, who sat in a rocking chair. Her black hair was slightly tinged with white.

"_Ciao_, Rosa," Ella said softly, stooping and petting the cat. Rosa half-opened her feline eyes and gazed up lazily. She was no longer the feisty kitty that got stuck in trees all the time. She was now a mature lap-warmer that was more than content to live out life peacefully in retirement. Ella turned to face the older woman, who was now watching her affectionately.

"You called, Auntie?" Ella asked.

"_Si, cara mia_," said her aunt, "I just-a wanted to talk-a to you. About-a your future."

"Oh, Auntie, not this again!" Ella groaned and stood straight, "Honestly, I'm happy just being here in Roma with you and Rosa. I told you I could never go back _there_ again!"

"I know, _bambina_, I know. But ev-a-ry time I try to tell-a you to go out and have-a the fun, you won't-a listen!"

"I already have fun running _nonna's_ _trattoria_ with you. Besides, what's done is done and, frankly, I don't care!"

"But you need-a to go out and-a be independent again, Ella! I know-a you haven't got over it!"

"Auntie, I got over it a long time ago!" Ella was starting to get exasperated. "And why do you have to bring it up?! Next time, I swear..."

"You must-a go back to Wales!" The aunt shouted. "NO! I will NOT!" Ella shouted back.

"Then go to Pontypandy!" The aunt shouted again and tried to get out of her chair, only to grimace as her back started to hurt. Rosa jumped off in alarm and meowed anxiously.

Ella's eyes widened in surprise as she quickly helped her aunt back into the chair and patted her back. Auntie Bella Lasagna had never mentioned anything about her time in Pontypandy, until now.

"Auntie Bella..." she started calmly, "Is this what you've been trying to tell me the whole time?"

"Ah! Finally, you-a listen to me!" Bella was about done shouting herself hoarse. Bella may have been as old as she always was, but her dramatic outbursts were always a staple of her personality. "Now, sit-a down!"

Ella obeyed. Things were about to get interesting. Bella took a deep breath, then spoke, nostalgia making its way into her voice.

"Wales, she is-a _bellisima _and I loved-a living there. Rosa and-a me, we had-a good times there. Didn't we, Rosa?"

Rosa purred happily, sitting next to Ella, who absentmindedly stroked her.

"We lived-a in a beautiful town called-a Pontypandy. Lots of-a mountains, scenery and the sea. _Bellisima!"_

"Go on..." Ella encouraged.

"I lived around-a my friends, the best-a friends in the whole-a world! My cafe was-a always full of-a visitors." Bella paused to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand, remembering all the friends she and Rosa had left behind. "But Pontypandy, she was-a also the most exciting-a town in the world!"

"Really?!" Ella replied. How could a seemingly idyllic town be so exciting, she thought.

"They put out-a fires ev-a-ry day!"

"F-fires? Really?" Ella said incredulously. A quaint little town that sees its fair share of fires. Now where has she heard that before?

"_Si, bambina_! Even I had-a the fire in-a my little cafe sometimes! And Fireman Sam, he always-a help me!"

"Who's Fireman Sam, Auntie Bella?" Ella asked, mentally adding, 'And why do you speak as though he's the only firefighter in Pontypandy?'

"Fireman Sam, he's-a our hero next door! And-a Elvis and-a Penny and-a Station Officer Steele! I miss-a them so much! *sniff* And-a Trevori and Mrs Price and the Jones-a family! The Floods too-a! I even miss-a Naughty Norman Price! Never a, how to say-a, unpolished moment with-a him and his-a tricks! *sniff-sniff*"

"I believe you meant to say a _dull_ moment, Auntiekins," Ella got up and handed Bella a box of tissues. She suddenly felt a rush of affection for the whacky drama queen of an old lady she had been living with in Rome for the past five-and-a-half years, since she left Wales. In fact, if she had never got that letter from her parents on that fateful day six years ago, she wouldn't have known that she even had an aunt in the first place.

"Ah, _si_, well anyway..." Bella dabbed her eyes and composed herself. "_Bambina_, I know-a you don't want-a to go back home again..."

"Do I know it!" Ella replied. Her aunt was right, she hadn't got over it. She sighed, then remembered, "Auntie, you said something about going to Pontypandy?"

"I did, _cara mia_. Listen. When I left-a Pontypandy to care for your _nonna_, my and your _mamma_'s late _mamma_, I left-a my little cafe all shut up and closed. For a long time, I have-a been using my money to keep it all-a safe for the right time."

"What time?" Ella asked, then realized, "Oh, Auntie, you couldn't!"

"I am and I will-a!" Bella replied. "I cannot-a stand thinking of-a that poor little cafe standing so lonely in-a Pontypandy anymore-a! Someone must-a take the charge of it and that must-a be you! Your ex-a-perience working in the _trattoria_ should-a be enough!"

"But Auntie, it's too soon!" Ella exclaimed. "Even if it means going back to Wales, then how could I just take off and leave you all alone here? And why don't you just come back to Pontypandy and reclaim the cafe yourself?"

Bella smiled, "A long-a time ago, I would have. But ever since-a your _nonna_ died, I have-a made up-a my mind to stay in-a Italia and look after the _trattoria_. So I stay, you go. It will-a be _magnifico_, I promise."

"No," Ella replied, trying to get up, "I can't. I don't want to. I mean...after all that happened in Tonypridd, I finally found out that I had a wonderful aunt I never knew about...And I've been having so much fun here. So much of the pain ha-oof!" She winced as she felt the med-controlled sting while getting to her feet.

"_Bambina_, are you all right?" Bella tried to rise from her chair as well.

"No, no, you stay where you are, I'm fine," Ella straightened up.

"Please, _cara_, listen to Auntie Bella," Bella sat back down and resumed talking, "I know that I want-a to stay in Italia with-a Rosa and the _trattoria_. You are-a my favourite niece-a, so I want-a you and only you to inherit-a my beautiful Ridoli's Bella Cafe in Pontypandy. You will-a know what to cook-a when you start-a running it. And your cooking is-a _mwah_! _Molto bene_! And-A Roma is-a becoming too noisy for a lonely young lady like-a you, you know."

Ella snorted, "I'm not lonely! I have friends in Tonypridd and in Roma too!"

"Well, where are they now?"

"..."

"See! You have-a so much of-a the world to catch up on!"

"...Oh, Auntie, I don't know..."

"You think about it, Ella, _passerotta mia,_ take-a your time."

"I'll think about it. I better whip up some fresh _sfogliatelle_ pastries while I'm at it then," Ella nodded and left, gritting her teeth as she felt another dull wave of pain.

Bella sighed and looked out the window at the splendid city of Rome. "My beautiful niece-a, she is such a_ brava ragazza_, but sometime she need push in-a right place-a. Eh, Rosa?"

Rosa meowed back in agreement.

"And one more thing," Ella suddenly said, opening the door slightly and peeking in.

"_Si_?"

"I'm your ONLY niece, Auntiekins!" She laughed and shut the door as she left Bella, who laughed as well.

Ella was quite worried, when she reached the _trattoria_ floor though. "I still think it's too soon. What do you think, Pavarotti?" She asked her aunt's pet goldfish (Somehow, Bella had managed to get the fish to Italy as well). "Should I take over my aunt's stomping ground?"

Pavarotti just let off bubbles.

* * *

Four weeks later, all the way in Wales, Chief Fire Officer Boyce from Newtown had come down to Pontypandy to help Station Officer Steele supervise a new training exercise. He was currently standing by the window of the break room, regaling anyone who would listen with yet another tale of his past firefighting days.

"...And that's how I rescued those children and a couple of chickens from that barn fire!"

"Ooh, sir, that was very brave!" Fireman Elvis Cridlington exclaimed with his usual childlike delight.

"Yes, yes, I-I'm sure it was," Station Officer Steele chimed in. Then Firefighter Penny Morris arrived with a wrench.

"Hello everyone, has Sam returned from Newtown with Jupiter yet? I told him I have to borrow her to check her engine."

"No Penny, we di...Oh, that must be him now," Elvis said, as he spotted Jupiter getting parked in the garage. Soon, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Fireman Sam Jones came in. He threw Jupiter's keys at Penny, who caught them. "Hello Penny, she's all yours now. Sorry I'm late."

"What took you?" Penny asked. "Ooh, did you have to help Trevor start his bus up again?" Elvis asked.

"Not really, though that bus does need to be looked at," Sam replied thoughtfully, "On the way back to Pontypandy, I saw a young lady pushing along a bicycle with a flat tyre, so I helped her fix it. Nothing an air pump and a patch can't do. She wasn't too keen on bicycle safety though."

"That was very generous of you, Fireman Sam," CFO Boyce declared, then sighed, "I remember an acquaintance of mine who used to ride a bicycle. She used to live in Tonypridd." That made Penny, who was just about to leave, turn around.

"Tonypridd, sir?" she asked, "I remember going there on holiday, when I used to live in Newtown. I had a friend there, who worked for the Fire Department. Firefighter Luca. Come to think of it, I haven't heard from her ever since I moved to Pontypandy."

"Why, that is exactly who I was referring to!" CFO Boyce exclaimed, "I knew her quite well myself! I'm proud to say that her brother Fireman Luca is an Auxiliary Fireman at Newtown!"

"Did you just say...Firefighter Luca?" Station Officer Steele had clearly heard that name somewhere as well. "From what I heard, she was almost as brilliant as our very own Firefighter Morris!"

"Well, I would like to meet her! She sounds nice," Sam smiled at the thought of a contemporary to work with someday.

"She was a credit to the force, she was," CFO Boyce remarked, "Tonypridd still misses her."

"Wow! I'd like to meet Firefighter Luca too!" Elvis grinned, "I'd make some of my special cupcakes for her!"

Sam, Steele and Penny exchanged anxious glances with each other. They knew exactly what Elvis' cooking tasted like. Not that they'd be rude enough to say it to his face, of course, he was the most sensitive firefighter of them all. Then Penny realized something.

"Tonypridd _still misses her_? What's that supposed to mean? Did she move out of town? Surely I would have known. Wouldn't I?"

"Ah, Firefighter Morris," CFO Boyce said solemnly, "Nobody knows! She just...disappeared!"

"Nobody...? Not even you, sir?" Elvis asked. This was intriguing. "Firefighters don't just disappear into thin air!"

"Quite right, Elvis," said an amazed Sam, "When did she disappear, sir?"

"Well, er..." CFO Boyce started to explain, "It was about five or six years ago, when the Tonypridd Grocery Store owner's house caught fire. A candle had not been put out properly and the flame caught on to the curtains and then the entire house. At first, it seemed as though everything was going like clockwork. The whole family had been evacuated. Almost."

"Do continue, sir," Station Officer Steele nodded and the other firefighters listened with bated breath. Elvis glanced worriedly at Penny, whose eyes were wide.

"Just as the situation looked to be under control, we heard a cry from upstairs. Firefighter Luca recognized the voice as that of the owner's little boy, Joey."

Penny went pale, "Oh no! I'd forgotten how much she loved children! Don't tell me she went inside!"

"I'm afraid she did," CFO Boyce remarked gravely, "You were right, Luca always had a soft spot for the little ones. She dropped her hose and ran inside straightaway! Without even wearing any breathing apparatus! And her brother went after her as well."

"Isn't her brother serving in Newtown's Auxiliary Fire Service?" Sam asked, "You said it yourself, sir."

"Yes, well, at that time, Fireman Luca was serving alongside his older sister. Anyway, after a few minutes, Fireman Luca came running out with little Joey in his arms, looking as though he had seen a ghost. He asked us all if his sister had returned. And no one had seen her at all!"

"Oh no!" Elvis cried, putting his hands to his head in despair, "Maybe she died and _became_ a ghost! No no no!"

"Calm down, Elvis!" Penny exclaimed, grabbing his arm, though she too was fearing the worst, "Let Chief Fire Officer Boyce finish!"

"No, Elvis, she's not dead. I know it, because two weeks later, Station Officer Delaney from Tonypridd showed me a parcel containing Firefighter Luca's neatly folded uniforms and a resignation notice bearing her signature. Nobody saw her ever again. Her parents believe that she may have gone to live in her grandmother's house far away, but no one knows why. And then a week later, her brother resigned and moved to Newtown."

"Poor Luca," Penny said solemnly, "We used to surf together and write each other letters. Wherever she is, I do hope she's feeling better."

"Question is," Sam said to her, "Feeling better from what? It's all very mysterious."

"Indeed, Fireman Sam," Station Officer Steele replied, "Now, sir," he said to Boyce, "My men...and, er, woman...have a new training exercise to start. Please come this way..."

* * *

At just about the same time, in another section of Pontypandy...

"Wow!" Norman Price breathed as he stared across the road from his Mam's shop. It had been a long time since anyone had seen activity going on at that particular area of Pontypandy. And now there was a moving truck dumping two large brown suitcases and a few big boxes in front of the little red building that had once seen its fair share of action and now fallen silent to loneliness. "I wonder..."

His mother, Dilys, yelled from inside their shop, "What's all that noise, Norman? You better not be doing anything dangerous!" She joined her son outside the door, trying her best to look stern and failing. Then she noticed the pile of luggage across the road and the truck driving away.

Then she heard a familiar voice, "Say, isn't that Bella's cafe? Why all the boxes?" It was Trevor Evans, bus driver and former auxiliary fireman. Former, because he decided he wasn't competent enough to juggle two demanding jobs at once. Today he was just walking. "Oh, hello Trevor," Dilys smiled, blushing like a schoolgirl, "Norman and I were just observating the cafe and wondering who was moving in."

Trevor smiled as he looked across the road, "Hmmm, whoever they are, they must be here to stay. And they'll need a hand with all that."

Dilys had an idea which immediately perked her up, "Oh my, it must be Bella! She's decided to come back! It'll be a thrill to see her again!"

"Or maybe not, Mam. Look!"

Dilys Price was the second to hear the bicycle bell ringing. Mother, son and Trevor turned towards the sound, which, as it got closer, took the shape of a person riding a blue bicycle. The rider stopped near the postbox in front of the building and dismounted and stood the bike up with her back to her audience.

It was a young woman wearing a red cardigan, light blue camisole, blue trousers and brown shoes. She took off a big brown bag, which was slung around her body and dropped it at her feet, then looked up, arms akimbo, at the red building. Her long brown hair was tied into a simple braid that circled the crown of her head like a woven halo. She just stood there, staring for a while, before fumbling with something down her front and walking up to the cafe door.

"Well then, no point standing here," Trevor said, "I better introduce myself." "I'll come too, Trevor. Come along, Norman precious," said Dilys, suddenly feeling jealous of the much younger-looking woman. Norman just rolled his eyes and followed suit.

"Uh...hello there, miss," Trevor cleared his throat politely and greeted.

The newcomer turned around and Dilys saw that she was holding a rusty key, that was strung alongside a small USB and a very familiar-looking diamond ring, on a fine gold chain. The girl also had a strand of hair hanging down each side front of her head. She smiled rather nervously at the three people in front of her.

"H-hello..." She began, "How...How do you do?" She extended her hand. The little group looked shocked to see that this girl with an exotic light olive-skinned face had a good Welsh accent, though it was slightly tinged with an Italian tone. Trevor reached out to shake her hand, but Dilys beat him to it, "How do do, I'm Dilys Price and this is Norman, my little treasure," she put an arm around Norman who said, "Oh, Mam!" and ducked. She added, "We live above the Cut Price Store over there." She pointed.

"Ah, so this makes us neighbours then?" The newcomer smiled, "Nice to meet you. Come to think of it..."

"And I'm Trevor Evans," Trevor popped up and smiled as hugely as he could, "If you ever need a bus ride, I'm the man for the job!"

The young lady laughed, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Ella." She looked at the cafe building again and sighed, "I believe my Auntie mentioned your names. She used to live here, you know."

"...You mean Bella?" Norman asked eagerly, "So Bella is your auntie?"

"Yes indeed," Ella replied, then smirked, "She did put in a special mention for _Naughty_ Norman Price..." She winked, making him huff, "I'm not naughty! I just love jokes, that's all!"

"I can't wait to see what you're up to then! Oh my giddy aunt..." she cast a mournful look at the pile of luggage nearby, "Looks like they arrived early. I'll have to bring those inside before someone trips and gets hurt."

"I'll help you!" Trevor said and picked up two. "Ooh, me too! Me too!" Norman said and tried to carry a nearby box, only for Ella to suddenly slap his hand away. "OW! What was that for?"

"Sorry, Norman, but I think I'll take this one myself. It has all my...personal belongings in it," Ella said and promptly lifted it up. The box shielded her grimacing face from view, when she felt the chronic pain overwhelm her again, making her buckle under the weight.

"I'll take your bag over there then," Dilys picked up the brown bag that Ella had discarded earlier.

"Thank you, everyone, really you're too kind," Ella smiled gratefully, "This won't take long, hopefully. Norman, if you look in the side pocket of that bag your Mam's carrying, you'll find a bicycle lock in there. You know how to use one don't you?"

Norman found it, "Yes, Bella...uh, I mean Ella. I'll get to it."

"All right then! Once all these boxes are safely upstairs, I'll whip up a batch of melt-in-your-mouth macaroons as a pre-housewarming treat!"

"Lovely, I'm sure," Dilys said enthusiastically, "I'll get some ingredients from my store just for you!"

"YAY!" Norman yelled, "I can't wait!"

Ella unlocked the cafe door with the key around her neck and the adults all set to work carting Ella's luggage through the cafe to the living quarters above it, while Norman somehow ended up locking his leg in with the bicycle and had to wait till Ella had to come out and release him with the key to the lock (Which she also wore on the same chain).

Afterwards, Ella made good on her promise to make macaroons by cleaning and testing out the cafe's kitchen area and they sat down to eat them. Trevor then noticed the diamond ring around Ella's neck.

"Why, Miss Ella, that's a fine large diamond I see there. It looks like the one I choked on a long time ago!" The ring was a gold one, with said large diamond flanked by two ornate little scrolls. Ella looked down and fingered it delicately, "Ah yes, Mr Evans, Auntie Bella inherited it as the eldest daughter in her family. She couldn't hand it to my mother, so she let me have it. I don't wear jewellery on my hands, so I'm wearing it on this...Wait, you _choked_ on it?!"

"Choked?! On a diamond ring?" Norman asked.

They both burst out laughing, making Trevor blush and Dilys glare. Ella recovered and continued, "Anyways, I believe Auntie kept in touch with you all? She never really had a chance to tell me about you all till many weeks ago."

"Really?" Dilys said, "Oh, but she must have been recovering from her loss, you know."

Ella sighed and smiled, "Ah yes, my late _nonna_, as I always called my Gran. She was a wonderful cook, apparently. I never knew her, but I'm glad I got to know Auntie. She taught me how to run a cafe, you know!"

As they talked, the delicious smell of the macaroons wafted outside of the cafe and caught the attention of a blonde woman and her twin children. They stopped and sniffed. "Mmm! That smells mega-brill, Mam!" Sarah Jones exclaimed, "Can we have some?"

Her mother, Bronwen took a whiff, "Ah! That's a delicious idea Sarah! But where is it coming from?" "It's coming from over there, Mam!" said James, Sarah's brother. He added, "Gosh, it's Bella's cafe! And it's open! Maybe she finally came back! Let's go see!"

They rushed in and though there was no Bella, they were pleased to meet Ella, who was only too happy to let them eat as many macaroons as they wanted. Eventually, Bronwen, Dilys, Trevor and the three children learnt that Ella was born and raised in another part of Wales to an Italian family, whose mother was Bella's long-lost sister and that Bella does not wish to come back to live in Pontypandy again after losing her mother, but will visit if she wants to. And Sarah and James learnt the true meaning of _Trattoria de Napoli _("It means 'Restaurant from Naples,' which is another lovely part of Italy," Ella explained, "And my _nonna_ came from Naples to live in Rome. I'm surprised that Auntie Bella forgot! Bless her, she's so absentminded!"). They also learnt that Ella had decided to inherit her auntie's cafe, so that she would be able to come home to Wales again and start a new life.

"But why was Bella separated from her sister?" asked Bronwen.

"Yes!" added Dilys, "And what part of Wales did you come from?"

"You look like a princess with that hairdo, Bella! Could you please teach me how to do one? " Sarah said.

"And why are you starting anew? From what?" Trevor remarked.

Ella laughed, "Oh my giddy aunt, so many questions! All in good time, everyone! And my name is Ella, not Bella. I didn't know it at the time, but my _mamma_ did name me after Auntie, so I guess they never forgot each other after all this time apart...Oh dear, I better get more macaroons. They're on the house for today!"

She stood up, gasped and almost stumbled. "Are you all right, Miss?" Trevor asked, trying to get up, but Ella stopped him. "Oh no, it's nothing Mr Evans, I'll be back soon!" She strode quickly into the kitchen, gritting her teeth and thinking, 'Oh no, I have only one pill left!'

While Ella collected a tray bearing fresh macaroons, no one noticed Norman Price sneakily slip a whoopee cushion onto the chair Ella was sitting on. He giggled behind his hands as the young woman returned, but frowned when she suddenly slammed the tray down and raced upstairs with a distressed look on her face and one hand on her right leg. Five minutes later she rejoined them, looking slightly happier and walking calmly...and fell prey to Norman's prank. Norman couldn't help it, he started laughing. But just as Dilys was about to box his ears and tell him off, Ella fell off her chair laughing. Soon, the others joined in and the cafe was full of laughter.

**Well, I know there won't be many people reviewing this. I mean, who'd be nuts enough to write fanfiction about Fireman Sam of all people?! But Bella was always my favourite character and I feel like there's been a hole in my heart and the entire Fireman Sam series ever since they wrote her out. So I hope you enjoy this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Back in Business****  
**

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Note & Disclaimer: **There's references to episodes old and new in this and the previous chapter! See if you can find them, that's if you can put up with my boring style of writing! Plus, I spelled Bronwen's name without the "wyn" at the end, because the "wyn" suffix is masculine in Welsh, therefore not used for girls in Wales, but only used in names for girls outside of Wales. Fireman Sam and all related characters belong to the people who created them. And my OC belongs to me.

* * *

In the space of three weeks, Ella's hardworking Italian ethic and shrewd organizational skills somehow got her through the entire paperwork process, which involved letters to and from her aunt's lawyer, confirming the cafe's new ownership, about accountancy and that food and health regulations were maintained to a high quality standard. She also had to clean up the entire cafe floor and build up a nice comfortable living space for herself above it. She absolutely refused help from the few people she had met when she'd arrived in the first place, opting to keep as low a profile as she could, in case they found out about her leg.

And then it was all done. Her new home looked nice, vintage and cosy. And the cafe itself was just beautiful. Ella had all but jumped for joy when she had seen the authentic, rustic pizza oven that her aunt had installed a long time ago (and almost burnt out, because of a bird's nest) and when she saw that the bound-up old recipe tomes that her aunt had left in a kitchen drawer were still perfect, she hugged them to her chest, feeling closer to Bella than ever in this strange little town.

Now, it was another beautiful day in Pontypandy. But this day was special, because Ridoli's Bella Cafe was officially open for business again. The gossip around Pontypandy had spread like the plague, thanks to Mrs Price, who ran off at the mouth a lot, which meant that Ella expected customers to pour in. But it was still very early in the morning, nobody was awake yet and Ella just stood there inside, surveying her new home, her new workplace, this little lost _bracchi_ that Bella had left alone for a long time. It was a real family treasure indeed. Ella breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet smell of the goodies she'd just prepared and laid out, as she remembered...

_-Flashback-_

_"So you will-a do it?" Bella asked her, "You will-a go to Pontypandy and take-a over my little cafe?"_

_Ella nodded with conviction, "_Si_, Auntie Bella. I decided that not only will I have fun running your _bracchi_, I will also be able to live in a town where no one knows who I am."_

_Bella looked sadly at her niece, "You still have-a not got over it then?"_

_"No, Auntie. It still hurts and this..." Ella pointed at her right leg "...is the reminder of that hurt. It will never go away."_

_"_Bambina_," Bella replied, "What matters is-a that my beautiful niece is-a still alive and with-a me. And I love-a you very much. I am-a very sure that Pontypandy will-a take the good care of you."_

_Ella blushed. "I'm not beautiful anymore, Auntie and I love you too. But Pontypandy sounds like a lovely place. Even if everyone knows each other. Especially the *gulp* Fire Brigade."_

_"The Fire Service, she is-a full of _cara amici_. And if-a you ever get in trouble, call Fireman Sam."_

_"Er...you mean, call the Fire Service right?"_

_"_Si, si_, call Fireman Sam, call Fire Service, both same thing. Now give-a your Auntie Bella a big hug."_

_Ella laughed and they embraced. They broke apart and Ella ran off to pack._

_-End Flashback-_

"Where have you been all my life?" Ella thought aloud.

"Why, right here in Pontypandy, of course!" A male voice behind her laughed.

Ella jumped and turned around. She hadn't realized she had actually blurted her thoughts out loud. And how could she have not heard the bell atop the doorway, was she deaf? she thought. A vaguely familiar looking man was standing in her open doorway. He wore (Oh my giddy aunt, Ella thought) a firefighter's uniform. Of course she had seen him before. Him and his red fire engine.

"I know you!" she exclaimed, "You're that firefighter who helped me fix my punctured bicycle tyre a few weeks ago!"

"Why, you're right!" he replied, as surprised as she was, "I didn't think I'd meet you here in Pontypandy!" His friendly Welsh-accented voice warmed up Ella's insides for some reason and she smiled brightly. She cleared her throat and bowed with a mock-flourish of her hand, "Step into my parlour, good sir."

"Gladly." He entered the cafe and looked around admiringly, "Bronwen says that you've restored the place brilliantly and she's right. Why, it's almost as if Bella never left!" "I'm glad you think so, sir. And it's officially open for business too," Ella replied, examining the fireman from a reasonable distance with fascination. He seemed young enough, maybe a little older than Bronwen. He had auburn hair, wise sky blue eyes and a smile to go with the voice. She knew what he had sounded like, but regarding what he looked like, well, she was too worried about her precious bicycle at the time...

_-Flashback-_

_She was riding along on the way to a new life in Pontypandy, getting to know the Welsh scenery again and taking whiffs of fresh country air. Ella hoped her luggage was safe in the long journey from Italy to the UK. Then she realized that she was following a route to Tonypridd._

_'Oh my giddy aunt,' she swore under her breath and stopped. She pulled her map out of her bag and found a fine enough route. It was long, but it didn't matter as long as she stayed away from Tonypridd. Ella smiled, shoved the map into the bag and rode on. It was a bumpy, gravelly path, but it would have to do. Anything not to go near Tonypridd and open old wounds. She eventually arrived at Newtown and wondered if she could stop and visit her old friend, Mor...  
_

_Pfffsssss..._

_Suddenly the bike went all wobbly and Ella would've fallen if it weren't for her quick reflexes. She stepped off like lightning and the bike fell at her feet. An examination revealed that a sharp piece of broken bottle had caused a puncture in the back tyre. Air was hissing out fast.__  
_

_Drat! Her spare tyres and air pump were all in her luggage on the way to Wales! At least she had a patch in her pocket, but it was no use, the tyre became as __flat as the _crempog___ pancakes she loved making so much._ She'd have to make the journey on foot. No matter. If the pain in her leg bothered her again, at least she had her pills. Ella picked up the bike and carried on. She walked on until she could see Pontypandy from a hilltop road. It looked beautiful...

_HONK-HONK!_

_Ella hopped onto the side with the bike. A fire engine was driving up the road. It looked really familiar. Ella felt a lump in her throat as she wondered if it was him..._

_"Hello, ma'am, how are you today?" No, it wasn't him. This was a different man's voice._

_He looked different too. Before Ella could answer, the driver noticed her bike, "I see you have a flat tyre. Don't you have any patches with you just in case?"_

_"Yes, I do," Ella replied, slightly embarrassed, "But I don't have an air pump."_

_She couldn't even look him in the eye. She was suddenly bashful. She fixed her eyes on the bike as the man sat there in deep thought. Then she heard the vehicle's door opening, some metallic sounds and then he was kneeling down and examining the bicycle tyre. He wore a firefighter's helmet and uniform._

_He got up and said, "I have an air pump. If you'd like me to..."_

_"No, no, please!" Ella pleaded and took a look at him. He was a tad taller than her with a stocky build. She added, "Please, I don't want to trouble you. Allow me." She almost snatched the air pump from him. But she gave him the patch and let him paste it over the puncture. Then she pumped away, until the wheel was as good as new.  
_

_As she detached the pump and gave it back to the firefighter, he a__s_ked concernedly, _"Why on earth are you cycling without a safety helmet? If you fall down, you could get seriously hurt. You also need to oil your chain, it's slightly rusty. And you wouldn't be able to ride if it got stuck between the spokes, you know. Also, you may need to see a mechanic, because you have only one brake on the handlebars." This offended her immediately._

_"For your information, I have been riding bicycles without a helmet since I was five and the only injuries I ever had were to my arms and legs. Do you know why? Because we were children back then, not complete morons. And, as it happens, I AM as aware of safety as you are. Also, I can take care of my own bicycle, thank you very much." She hopped on her bike and rode away with a speed that surprised even herself. What had come over her? And where was the firefighter going? Was he going the same way she was?_

_-End Flashback-_

"Miss? Miss?" The firefighter was talking to her.

"Oh, sorry, I don't know what came over me." She smiled sheepishly, "So, you were saying...?"

"I was saying that I also wanted to apologize if I had made you angry that day. About all those safety tips..." the firefighter replied nicely. The man does have manners, Ella thought, feeling ashamed. "We take safety regulations to heart in Pontypandy and I didn't mean anything personal about how you take care of your bicycle. So I'm..."

Ella turned red, "Oh no, please. _I'm_ sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. You were right, I should have worn a helmet, but to be honest, I feel so free without one. Besides, if I had to wear a helmet, it would have to accommodate_ this_, haha." She gestured to her crown braid with an awkward laugh.

"It suits you well," he nodded appreciatively, "Looks like quite the effort too."

"Thank you! It takes me ten minutes to...Oh, where are my manners, I forgot to introduce myself!" Ella came forward with an outstretched hand, "I'm Ella. I'm sure you knew my auntie well. Bella Lasagne?"

"Yes, I did. I'm Fireman Sam," said the firefighter, shaking her hand.

Ella gasped, "_You're_ the Fireman Sam that Auntie Bella goes on and on about? Well, it looks like I owe you a lot for helping Auntie Bella keep this place safe from fires. Although I just realized that the cafe needs a push button alarm installed in here. Preferably near the phone. And that smoke alarm," she looked at the ceiling, "...needs to be replaced. Wouldn't want it working with those dead batteries, would we? I'll buy one from Dilys when my shift's done for the day."

"And I'll help you install the push button alarm. Just let me know once you order it," he replied, amazed, but smiling at her apparent knowledge of fire safety.

"Thank you, Fireman Sam, but I can do that myself." Then she cheekily added, "By the way, does Fireman Sam have any other names?"

Sam laughed, "My full name is Firefighter Samuel Jones, but everyone calls me Fireman Sam."

"I see. Um, did you come into the cafe looking for something?"

"Ah yes, I would like to order some sandwiches please."

"Of course!" Ella enthusiastically whipped out a notebook and pencil and scribbled away. Her first order of the day! How exciting!, "What filling?"

"Cheese and chutney, please. That was my usual when Bella used to run the cafe."

"Hmmm, I see..." She rolled the sleeves of her red cardigan up to her elbows, "I'll be back in ten minutes, if you don't mind waiting."

Sam did wait and, sure enough, Ella arrived, gleefully bearing a brown paper bag, "Here you are, five sandwiches with a cheese and chutney filling, in the style of my Auntie, but better! I threw in some chopped olives for a pure Italian twist! That's if you're up for it."

"...Delicious, I'm sure! Thank you!" Sam happily accepted the bag and dug into his pocket, "How much are they?"

"They're free!" Ella grinned proudly, "It's my gratitude for helping me with the tyre. I did owe you for that time."

"Oh!" Sam smiled, "Well, thank you again! I better be off then, while I'm still early. Nice to meet you, Miss Bella Lasagna!"

Ella waved from the door as he jogged out, "Nice to meet you as well, Firefighter Jones!"

"Call me Sam, please!"

"Then call me Ella! Not Bella!"

"Haha, bye, Ella, NOT Bella!"

"See you around, Fireman Sam!"

Once he was out of earshot, she sadly said to no one in particular, "Lasagna is not my surname, you know."

* * *

"A new arrival in Pontypandy?" "Wow! Bella's Cafe is reopening!" "Really?! I can't wait! Maybe she's back after all!"

Ella's first day of work was happily busy. She made cakes, pastries, pizzas, pasta dishes, you name it, she made it, for citizens to eat inside or take away. She met more and more people who had known Bella, like the Pritchards, whose one-year-old had been taught by Helen to _finally_ burp properly. Ella, who adored children, immediately took to him and it was decided that the Pritchards would let her babysit him on Sunday. There were also people she didn't know, like the Chens, whose little Lily clung onto Ella's leg and refused to let go without a bribe. She also met Tom Thomas and Moose Roberts, who decided to show her around the mountain range, though they somehow ended up bickering over who'd take her out where first.

During her lunch break, she typed up new ideas for inventing new recipes and revamping the old ones on her laptop. She also decided that the doorway between the kitchen and the cafe itself needed a lovely bead curtain for a more home-like feel. She then ordered two long banquette seaters from Pontypandy's furniture supplier and headed off to Dilys' shop so that she could borrow her stepladder and buy a new smoke alarm and batteries.

While Ella was working, the firefighters were having a fine day as well. They'd gotten back to the station after rescuing Lambykins from the top of Trevor's bus again to find that some new equipment had arrived in the mail. Steele was examining them and taking notes, while the firefighters were all upstairs, waiting on Elvis' cooking.

While Elvis was cooking and singing, Penny whispered to Sam across the table, "I know he has his moments, but if anything goes wrong, could I have one of your sandwiches, please? I've missed Bella's cooking as well and being on duty tonight means I can't stop by the cafe to meet the new girl."

"Don't worry, Penny," Sam whispered back, "I'm sure Elvis' stew will turn out fine. Actually, it's funny you should mention Ella. The new girl, that is. It turns out that she was the very same girl with the bicycle that I met a few weeks ago."

Penny laughed, "What a happy coincidence! She must have given you quite a handsome discount then!"

"Not just any discount! The ultimate discount!"

"Really? They're all for free?!"

"Are you talking about me?" Elvis asked, turning away from the stove. Penny replied, "Not you, Elvis, the new girl at Bella's. Apparently, she gave Sam free sandwiches for helping her repair her bicycle tyre!"

"There's a new girl at Bella's? I knew the cafe was back in business, but I thought Bella would be coming back."

"Doesn't seem like it, Elvis," Sam shook his head, "Bronwen and Charlie told me that Bella won't come back. But I'm sure Ella can cook just as well as her aunt."

"Oh, but I'm sure she can also cook as well as me!" Elvis said proudly, then sighed, "But I really miss Bella." Then he smelled something burning, "Oh no! Not again!"

"Well, what are you waiting for!" Penny said to Sam, as Elvis frantically turned off the stove, for which he'd turned the heat up for twice than recommended, then tried to get his tureen out of the way, only to realize that the handles were metallic, then howled in pain and rushed to turn on the cold water tap and held his hands under it.

Sam chuckled and handed her one of his sandwiches. He took a bite out of another and was pleasantly surprised. The chopped olives that Ella had added were of the Black Kalamata variety, cured in brine. She had added just the right amount to provide a pleasant savoury-sweet contrast to the cheese and chutney filling and so that Sam wouldn't be repulsed. And repulsed he was not. Far from it. Every bite he took provided an enjoyable burst of flavour. The cook was definitely not a person to be trifled with.

"Hmmm, I've never heard of adding chopped olives to a cheese and chutney sandwich before, but it's not that bad!" Penny said with her mouth full. She took her last bite, "Can I have another please?"

Sam looked inside the paper bag and was surprised again. It was empty! "Sorry Penny, I'm afraid I've eaten them all."

"Are you sure Radar didn't eat any?" Penny pointed at Radar, the Fire Station's beloved Dalmatian, who looked up at Sam, then at Sam's lunch bag and whined. Nope, Sam definitely didn't give him any sandwiches.

Sam shook his head, "Radar couldn't eat olives."

Penny sighed and went over to help Elvis, who had just tripped over a stray oven mitt, "Oh well. Anyway, we better get ready. Nurse Flood will be here soon to teach us the next step in First Aid."


	3. Chapter 3

**Back in Business****  
**

**Chapter 3  
**

**Author's Note: **And here it is! Chapter 3! I had to do a lot of research for this one. And in recent news, I stepped inside the back of a local fire engine! Whoo!**  
**

* * *

Penny stood near the window, watching as Nurse Helen Flood and Station Officer Steele talking enthusiastically while taking stuff out of Helen's smart-car to set up everything they need for today's training exercise. Steele had made the firefighters take Jupiter and Venus out of the garage and then go upstairs, claiming it to be a surprise. Sam and Elvis were at the table having tea that Elvis just made, while Penny just held her cup in her hands without even drinking.

"Still thinking about Firefighter Luca then, Penny?" Sam asked tactfully. Penny turned and nodded with a smile, "Yes, I was just remembering how we used to be paired together for training exercises in England. We were the only Welsh women there, so we were naturally expected to stick together."

"Wow! You've been to England? What's it like there?" Elvis said with wide-eyed wonder. Penny laughed, "It was lovely back then. Just like a postcard. But nothing compared to Pontypandy, of course. I'm glad I made the decision to move here."

"I'm glad too, Penny!" Elvis replied, before hastily correcting himself, "I mean _we_ are glad, that is..."

"So Penny," Sam said, throwing Elvis a wry, amused look, "Please tell us more about your friend. If you want to, of course."

"Oh, why not?" Penny took a sip of tea at last, to Elvis' relief (He didn't slave over the kettle for nothing!) and joined them at the table. "She's a year younger than me, very hardworking and clever. And, of course, she loves children. She told me that the reason she joined the Fire Service was to set a good example to children. And between you and me..." Her voice slipped to a theatrical whisper "...She had hair as short as mine and all the boys thought she was pretty!"

"Well, I can only imagine how many fires she had to put out of boys' hearts!" Sam exclaimed and they all started laughing.

"Ooh, I get it! Hearts on fire!" Elvis giggled. "It's too bad though," he added, looking at Penny's blonde hair and remembering, "You cut your hair short after you joined our fire station..."

"I had to, Elvis, it was...distracting," Penny ran a hand gently through her hair. If only he knew how distracting, she thought.

"All right, chaps!...And chapesses..." Station Officer Steele came in and announced, "You may all now proceed to the garage! This training exercise is officially in session!"

The firefighters put their cups down and slid down the pole, one at a time, Sam first, then Elvis, followed by Penny. They came to the garage and what a sight met their eyes!

Helen Flood stood over different kinds of equipment and three dummies with neither arms nor lower body. She welcomed them in enthusiastically, "Hello, firefighters! Station Officer Steele has kindly asked me to help with today's training session, which will be a refresher course in CPR!"

"Ah, cardiopulmonary resuscitation!" Penny exclaimed, "I learnt that in England a long time ago!"

"Card-ee-yi-pulver-what?" asked a confused Elvis. "They call it CPR for short," Sam explained, "It's a very important part of First Aid. Almost everyone in Emergency Services knows how to do it."

"Ooh! CPR! I remember now!" Elvis said excitedly, "When a person has passed out, you must make them breathe again with CPR!" Then his shoulders slumped with disappointment, "But I've forgotten how to do it."

"That's why it's called a refresher, Cridlington," Steele replied, shaking his head exasperatedly, "It helps to clean out your memory, to make you remember."

This perked Elvis up, "Wow, OK! I can't wait to learn again!"

Helen spoke up again, "All right everyone, listen up! As you must know, CPR is used on people who stopped breathing and people whose hearts stopped beating. This may happen because of many reasons like drowning, heart attacks or even because of smoke inhalation."

"Terrible," Elvis muttered. "Exactly. And dangerous," Helen nodded and continued, "Paramedics, firefighters, policemen, even nurses like me, have been taught CPR. Even Tom, Moose and Ben know how to perform CPR, but they have already had their refresher. Now, CPR is usually performed using your hands. But professionals also have equipment to make things easier, such as special masks and even defibrillators for really life-threatening situations. Today, I have brought along some dummies from Newtown Hospital to make it easier to practice your CPR skills. Sam, you go to that dummy. Elvis takes this one and Penny, over here."

The firefighters knelt down in their assigned positions. Elvis took one look at his dummy and raised a hand. "Yes, Elvis?" Helen asked. "Um, Helen...Why aren't we using Dolly for practice instead?"

Helen smiled, "We won't need Dolly today. She doesn't have an open mouth and her hands and feet might get in the way of practice, you know. This is why you can work with..." She paused to think of a name, "...Millie."

"Uh..." Elvis thought for a moment, then smiled, "Hello Millie, I'm Elvis." Steele facepalmed. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

As soon as Ella walked out of the Cut Price Store with the stepladder, her new smoke alarm and batteries, she realized that her lunch break was over and got back to work again. She wasn't one to slack off that easily, considering that she was the descendant of one of many hardworking Italian families. The smoke alarm would have to wait a little while. As she came up to her new cafe, she saw a green van pull up near it.

A man in a blue cap stepped out with a dark-skinned little girl. Ella watched as he opened the doors at the back of the van and pulled out her new long seats, one by one. She went up to them and said hello.

"Mike Flood, at your service!" the man shook her hand with gusto, "And this is my daughter, Mandy!"

"Ella L-Lasagne, nice to meet you! I'll give you a hand as soon as I put this stepladder away inside..." She came out empty-handed and together, she and Mike brought the new seats inside and positioned them close to the shop windows.

"Wow! You're really strong!" exclaimed Mandy, earning an embarrassed reply from Ella, "Not really! A girl just...knows! Now, who'd like a bite to eat before leaving?"

Mike and Mandy took a sundae each to go and Ella waved them off, before cleaning up the tables in her now-empty cafe. Just as finished and stepped back to admire the result, she heard a cry of horror from across the road. And is that smoke in the air?

* * *

Beepbeepbeepbeep! Whirrrr...

Helen stopped talking and Steele rushed into his office. The firefighters stopped taking notes and stood up as Steele's voice announced the following over the speaker:

"An electric fire at Dilys' shop! Sam and Elvis take Jupiter, quick as you can!"

Penny sat back down and Sam and Elvis grabbed their helmets and found Jupiter outside. They got in and drove off, siren blaring. They arrived at the scene of the fire, where Dilys and Norman were waiting. The woman wailed, "It's in the kitchen, Sam! My oven caught fire!" "Don't worry, Dil, we'll have it out in no time," Sam replied calmly. He took out the breathing apparatus and wore it, then took an electronic name tag from it and gave it to Elvis, who gave him an extinguisher and now wore the black-and-yellow-checkered vest of an entry control officer over his uniform. Elvis slid the name tag into the electronic control board, which announced in a female voice, "Fireman Sam, oxygen level 100%."

Sam rushed into the smoking building. He found the kitchen with no trouble, but what he found in there surprised him. "Great Fires of London! There's no fire!" All the signs that someone else had beaten him to it were there. There was foam all over the smoking oven and it clearly had come from a fire extinguisher. He took out the burnt cake that was in the oven and checked the electricity. It had been switched off.

He left the kitchen and found the fire exit door swinging itself shut. Whoever came in and put out the fire left the shop through it as well. And they must have been in a hurry too, if they didn't want themselves to be seen. "But how did they get through all that smoke without breathing equipment?" Sam wondered out loud. All the same, they had done a pretty good job of putting the fire out.

Sam went outside to meet the Prices and Elvis. He gave his extinguisher back to Elvis and offered Dilys the cake, "Well, the fire's out now. But this cake has seen better days." Dilys took it from him and said, "But I always manage to bake cakes properly! How could it have..." Then she confronted her guilty-looking son, "NOR-MAN PRICE! You didn't turn up the heat while I was downstairs!"

"Yes, Mam," Norman replied sullenly, "I know you told me it'll take an hour, but I only wanted the cake to be baked faster. Sorry, Mam. Sorry, Sam. It won't happen again."

"It won't!" yelled Dilys, "In fact, you will not have cake for three weeks!"

"Oh, MAM!" groaned Norman. This was a fate worse than grounding, that's for sure.

"And I'm going to tell Ella and Bronwen not to sell you any cake either!"

"WHAT! That's not fair!" yelled Norman.

"It is now, Norman," Sam said gently, but sternly, "You have burnt the Floods' oven before. You should know that every time you make a cake, you must go by the book. If you did, then there wouldn't be any fires."

"Sorry," Norman repeated genuinely. Dilys then added, "Thank you so much for saving my kitchen, Sam."

"It's alright, Dil," Sam replied, "But the funny thing is...I didn't put out the fire."

"What?! Then who did?" Dilys gasped.

"What's going *huff* on?" a voice asked.

Everyone turned around. It was Ella. She was holding an empty fire extinguisher and looking as though she had run a marathon.

"There was a fire in my kitchen," Dilys explained, "And Sam put the fire out. Only...he didn't."

"Um..._you_ don't happen to know who did it, did you Ella?" Sam asked her, noticing that she was puffing and panting. He also noticed how much effort she put into putting her right foot forward.

"That *huff* that's what *puff* I wanna *huff* know! I heard the siren *pant* and ran out of my *puff* kitchen and found this *puff* used and dropped inside my cafe! _My_ fire extinguisher!" She handed it to Sam, adding, "Who would take *puff* it without my *huff* permission?"

"Hmmm..." Sam examined the fire extinguisher, noting its lightness now that it was emptied, "Even if our Invisible Hero did take it without asking you, they used it for a good reason."

"We've got our job cut out for us!" Elvis laughed, "Hi, you must be Ella. Sam has been talking about you. I'm Fireman Cridlington, but you can call me Elvis."

"All right, Elvis, nice to meet you!" Ella shook hands with him, her breathing now back to normal, "Good things, I hope?" She raised an eyebrow at Sam, who chuckled, "As good as can be. Although I really liked your twist to those sandwiches you made, I wish you could have asked me before putting olives in them, you know?"

"Oh, very well, I'll ask next time and even let you taste first," Ella sighed. She shrugged her shoulders. "I will need my extinguisher refilled though. And now that I've seen how fiery Pontypandy can be, I should probably start installing my smoke alarm now."

"I'll help," replied Sam, but Ella firmly said, "No, Sam, I can do it myself. I've...I know what to do."

"Er...alright then," Sam replied, slightly flabbergasted, but accepting. No one usually refuses his help.

Elvis refilled the extinguisher and returned it to Ella, then she and the Prices waved to the firefighters as they drove off back to the station for their CPR refresher.

"See you later, Dilys," Ella said, "I'll return your stepladder soon." She ran back inside.

"Mam...I have an idea," Norman brightened up, "If I find the Invisible Hero, can I be able to eat cake again?"

"Not in a hurry you won't, poppet," Dilys replied firmly, then thought for a while, before adding, "Oh, why not? I don't think you'll find him anyway. Or her."

"I will!" yelled Norman with conviction, "You wait and see! By the end of this week, you'll be feeding me nothing but cake for three weeks!" And he ran away to look for his friends.

"Oh, that boy," Dilys sighed.

Ella had heard everything from inside her cafe while putting up the fire extinguisher. After all, with a voice like Norman's, anything he said could be heard from as far as France. She laughed, then winced as she felt the pain shoot up her leg again. "I can't believe it," muttered she, "I already had a pill ten minutes ago..." She went upstairs to find more pills.

**This story will have at least 6 chapters. I have it all planned out...for those who are actually reading this. Sorry for the wait! And who do YOU think this mysterious Good Samaritan was?  
**


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